29-year-old Montreal woman dies following alleged attack by her boyfriend

MONTREAL — A 29-year-old Montreal woman is dead after allegedly being assaulted by her partner over the weekend, police said Tuesday.

The woman was transported to hospital in critical condition on Saturday after she was found in an apartment in the Montreal borough of LaSalle; she was pronounced dead in hospital.

A 32-year-old man described by police as her boyfriend was taken into custody and initially charged with aggravated assault and breaking conditions. Const. Raphael Bergeron said Tuesday an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, adding it will be up to the Crown to decide on upgrading the charges.

Advocates for victims of domestic violence are concerned with the rising number of women who have been killed by their partners this year in the province. At least six women have been killed by their partners in Quebec in 2021, not including the victim who died Tuesday.

Premier Francois Legault said Tuesday his government is committed to implementing recommendations made by an all-party inquiry that investigated cases of sexual and conjugal violence last year. 

He said the province has already invested in women’s shelters and increased funding for organizations that help victims of violence. The premier also suggested more money will be included in the upcoming budget.

“There is a society to change, there is education to be done, which will yield results perhaps just in the medium term,” Legault told reporters. 

“But in the short term we want to ensure that all the people who need help, who need a physical place (to go), can have that place.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2021.

The Canadian Press